Possibilities of Small Tracts of Land by J. C. Rogers

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 7, 1906

Possibilities of Small Tracts of Land

By J. C. Rogers

J. C. ROGERS

“The seed shall be prosperous; the vine shall give her fruit, and the ground shall give her increase, and the heavens shall give their dew.” Zech. 8: 12.

“Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous.” Isa. 30: 23.

“Then thou shalt bless the Lord thy God for the good land which he hath given thee.” Deut. 8: 10.

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (types): and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10: 11.

It is the earnest desire of God’s people to-day to see this message go to the world and finish its work. One great cause of slowness is lack of money, as shown by steady appeals from the Mission Board. How to increase our tithes and offerings is the problem.

The land is God’s source of income. Faithfulness on the part of those now cultivating the soil and a turning to the soil with the purpose of advancing the message will accomplish great things. How many among us, now unprofitably employed, might secure a small piece of land by lease or purchase and cultivate it for the Lord? The realization of the promises which I have quoted above will surely follow an intelligent effort along this line.

Select the best ground available, which is conveniently located with reference to a good market. Choose some staple product always in demand, and give this one thing your main study and attention. Get the best seed obtainable without reference to its cost—not some untried novelty, but the best of a proved variety. If you pay a good price for good seed this year, you can sell seed for a good price next year.

Prepare your ground in the very best manner you know or can learn. Tell the Lord you are doing this work for him, and ask him to bless the effort. Thus it will be “A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.”

Last year I experienced God’s blessing upon four acres cultivated for the Lord. A handsome income was realized, and I think the abundant harvest was an object-lesson in the neighborhood.

Many conditions to-day serve to turn the attention of this people to the farm as a means of livelihood, and income. The unions are almost forcing our men out of the trades. Few business enterprises offer themselves except those leading to some kind of partnership association with men who disregard God’s law, the observance of which makes us a separate people.

Tilling the soil was the Creator’s original occupation for man, by which the latter should gain a competence, an honorable living, a suitable income. Only disobedience to God’s instructions have led mankind into the abnormal modern conditions where farming is falsely considered beneath other occupations. The word “farm” is modern, occurring but once in the Bible (Matt. 22:5) and meaning “field” as in Luke 15: 15.

But we need not seek to change the word, for farming is already becoming a science, an occupation requiring for successful results, knowledge and skill equal to other vocations. The need of funds to extend this message to all lands quickly points us to God’s original source of income—tillage of the soil.

A moment’s computation will show us the large possibilities of this occupation. Suppose we had ten thousand families occupying farms in the States. An income of one thousand dollars for each family, which is surely not a large estimate, would give us an annual income of ten million dollars. An honest tithe of this, one million dollars, is more than the whole denomination raised in tithes and offerings in a year from all sources throughout the world, according to our latest statistics. If the above tithe were realized, and as much more in offerings, how long would it take to reach the remotest corners of earth with the message? Is the possibility here pointed out not worth the earnest effort of our denomination, and especially of our schools, to realize?

Everett, Wash.